Ride the Wind: Brett and the Straw Hats
by Windslicer
Summary: Now entering the Grand Line, the crew's first foe appears: A giant whale! Chapter 6 is here, two years late! Give my story a read, reviews welcome. Favorite/subscribe if you like.
1. Introducing Brett Grove, WindWalker

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or its characters.

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"There he is, stop him!" A marine shouted, pointing at a blond-haired boy streaking in the opposite direction. All marines turned his direction and began sprinting to catch up.

"What are you after me for?" The blond boy shouted back, knocking a pedestrian over as he was running, "Oops! Sorry!" He ran at a breakneck pace, flying gracefully through the streets. It almost seemed as if he was gliding along the concrete rather than running...

As the docks came into sight, a horde of marines turned a corner and walled him in. He came to a stop, panting slightly, and took in his surroundings.

Lougetown was very pretty at this time of year. Sun shining, not a cloud in the sky. People walking and shopping through the streets, talking and laughing amongst themselves. Anyone out and about in the town would be enjoying themselves on a day like this. Unfortunately, today wasn't Brett Grove's day.

The marines swooped in, surrounding Brett and pointing their guns at him. Now that he was stopped, a few of the marines shot each other furtive glances. This was "Brett the Gale, the Human Hurricane"? The infamous pirate worth 15 million beli? Standing upright, he was a small thing, no older than 18, averaging 5'7" and weighing no more than 140lbs. His bright, bleach blond hair glittered in the sunglight, and combined with his pale complexion, gave him the look of a very exasperated vampire. After a few moments of gathering themselves at the somewhat disappointing look of their deadly enemy, one of the marines finally spoke,

"Brett Grove, known as Brett the Gale, the Human Hurricane, you're under arrest for the merciless slaughter of countless victims throughout East Blue and the Grand Line. Captain Smoker and Tashigi have already been notified and are on their way. Give up now or we will resort to force."

Brett gave a huge, audible sigh that made all the marines flinch. "Is THAT why you're after me? How many times do I have to tell you people? I have a twin brother. His name is Brock. He's a sick, twisted megalomaniac who kills people because he thinks they're of a weaker species than him."

A few of the marines glanced around, not sure whether to believe him, when the same marine spoke again, although a trace of uncertainty was hidden in his voice.

"A likely story, I'm sure. I used to hear about having an evil twin brother when my mom was tucking me into bed--"

"Your mom tucked you into bed? How is it you're in the marines again?" Brett asked, a smirk appearing on his face. The marine glowered.

"This is no time for jokes! Do you understand the position you're in?" He spat angrily.

"Yes, and it's very uncomfortable." Brett shifted his weight from one foot to the other, then continued, "there we go. Anyway, I'm not waiting up for ol' Captain Smoker to get here, I know how he handles criminals. So if you'll just excuse me...." Brett crouched down low. All the marines took a step back, too scared at what was about to happen. And in that split second, Brett shot off, jumping out of the circle, and landed gracefully twenty feet away, where he bolted around a corner and disappeared from view.

"After him!" The lead marine shouted, and all of them took chase.

High above Loguetown, on the rooftop of a particularly large building, Brett sat, watching the marines looking for him with a concerned look on his face.

"Brock, you bastard... I know you're here somewhere..." He stood up and stretched, looking all around him. His attention was caught by the platform in the middle of the courtyard, the very same one where Gold Roger was executed. But it wasn't the execution platform that caught his eye. It was the kid in a red vest and straw hat standing on top of it. And _laughing._

"What in the world...?" Brett wondered aloud, squinting his eyes for a better view, "Who could be that dumb?" With a soft leap, Brett sprung from rooftop to rooftop, curious as to what the kid was up to.


	2. A New Friendship? Brett and Luffy

"Ooooh, so this is what it looked like when he died!" Luffy exclaimed, scanning his surroundings eagerly.

"Hey, you! Get down from there, that platform is a landmark of this town, it's off-limits!" A marine officer called up at him. Luffy looked down at him. His face drooped.

"Aw, I'm just looking," he pouted. Completely ignoring the marine's demand, Luffy began to look around again, eyes drinking in every little thing they saw. Which was, for Luffy, a big deal.

"I'm warning you!" The marine shouted, "If you don't come down right—"

"I'll take it from here, soldier," a deep voice said from behind the marine. A giant, hulk of a man was looming in the shadow of the tower, with short, wiry white hair and two cigars hanging out of his mouth.

"C-Captain Smoker, sir!" The marine saluted. Smoker stared avidly up at Luffy. "I heard that Grove kid was here, but instead I get Straw Hat Luffy? It's like losing 10 beli and finding 100. You there!" He shouted at Luffy.

"Eh? Who are you?" Luffy questioned him.

"Oy, you just met me ten minutes ago…"

Brett watched the scene safely from the roof. As a general rule, Brett hated Pirates, but from what he heard about Straw Hat Luffy and his crew, he didn't seem to be a bad guy. Although he didn't make much contact with people nowadays, being from East Blue, Brett knew that Luffy had taken out Buggy the Clown, Don Krieg, and Arlong, three of the biggest baddies East Blue had to offer. And in turn, Luffy landed himself a 30 million beli bounty, which is double Brett's current bounty (although Brett technically never did anything). Intensely curious, Brett advanced on the scene, hoping to hear more.

"Listen to me, Straw Hat. I know all you rookie pirates have dreams of being the Pirate King, but you'll never make it on the Grand Line if you can't get past me. So let's settle this."

Luffy cocked his head to the side. "All I have to do is kick your ass? Fine!" Luffy grinned his big grin and wrapped his arms around the platform stand.

"Gomu Gomu no… Rocket!" He shouted, blasting off towards Smoker like a cannon. Brett's eyes widened.

_So _that's _how he did it. Devil's Fruit user, should have guessed, _Brett looked up at the sky. It was a murky shade of gray now. Was it just him, or was there a certain chill in the air that didn't feel natural? Ignoring this intuition, Brett turned his attention back to the fight at hand, and was stunned.

Buggy the Clown had Luffy on the execution platform, locked in the stocks. There were pirates and marines scattered about on the ground below, watching raptly. And running towards the platform were two men, a tall, gangly one with blond hair and a suit, and a green-haired man wielding three swords.

"Roronoa Zoro," Brett said to himself, recognizing the swordsman instantly. Were the two part of Luffy's crew? It would explain why they were making a mad dash towards the platform.

Buggy was laughing his head off, he seemed to be having the time of his life. Holding his sword to his side, he announced to the crowd at large,

"Finally, my revenge is complete! Before I flashily execute you, Straw Hat, do you have any last words?"

There was complete silence. Brett held his breath, not knowing why he was taking such an interest in this, but not caring at the same time. And then…

"I AM THE MAN WHO WILL BECOME THE PIRATE KING!"

It was as if time had stood still. Everyone standing in the village square, marine, pirate, pedestrian alike, looked up at Luffy as if he were something supernatural.

"To say something like that, here of all places…" Smoker whispered to himself, staring wide-eyed at Luffy.

Brett was just as stunned. "I…wow…" was all that could come out of his mouth as he watched. Buggy still laughed, and raised his sword up high. Brett made his mind up right there; he jumped from the rooftop toward the platform, his hands outstretched.

"Kaze Kaze no…." the words were hardly out of Brett's mouth when he realized he was going to be too late. The sword was coming down. Luffy smiled and said he was dead. Time stood still again, for the second time in an enternity…

A flash of white illuminated the entire square. A fork of lightning zigzagged down and struck Buggy's blade just before he struck. There was a terrible sizzling noise, and Buggy fell over backward. Luffy stood up, still grinning like an idiot, and laughed a hearty, full laugh.

"Whew, I thought I was a goner for sure!" Luffy proclaimed as he jumped off of the platform and was immediately greeted by his crewmates.

Brett, still mid-jump, landed a few feet outside the square instead. He turned in time to see the three pirates being bared down upon by Smoker and the marines. If he missed his chance with Buggy, this was it instead. Brett watched as Smoker's arms turned to a thick, white smoke, and grabbed Luffy around the middle. His two mates tried to help, but to no avail.

Brett popped his neck and back. He pulled a pair of black gloves, studded with white jewels, out of his back pocket and slid them over his hands. He crouched, and in an instant sprang up and flat-out sprinted towards Smoker. He was there in a flash, and before Smoker even knew what hit him, he received a brutal punch to the face that sent him flying into a building.

"Go, I'll buy you some time," Brett said, flashing a smile at the three. All three looked surprised, but the blond one and Zoro got the message quick enough. Turning around, they ran towards the docks.

"C'mon Luffy, we need to go!" Zoro called as he ran.

"Why are you fighting him?" Luffy asked Brett.

"You all don't seem that bad. Just a hunch," Brett replied.

"Well, what are you waiting for then? Let's go!" Luffy laughed and turned to run. Brett looked questionly at him.

"Go where?"

"Our ship, duh."

"You trust me enough to let me on your ship?"

Luffy laughed again. He stretched his arm out and caught Brett's, pulling him with him. As Brett lurched forward against his will, Luffy said "Let's call it a hunch."

Brett looked at him, flashed another smile, and began to run.

Another fork of lightning flashed across the sky. Smoker picked himself out of the small pile of rubble he was knocked into.

"Oh, you're gonna pay for that one. You there," he barked at the nearest marine, "get my Bike. Make it quick."


	3. Escape from Lougetown! Introducing Brock

Disclaimer: I don't own anything about One Piece. Sadly!

Brett was the fastest person he knew. No contest. But Luffy was giving him a run for his money.

"Luffy, where are you all docked?"

"Just up ahead, it can't be more than—"

Luffy was cut off suddenly from a rock spire that jutted up out of the ground, missing him by inches. Luffy stopped to look at it in shock. Brett's heart skipped a beat; it could only mean one thing.

"BROCK! GET OUT HERE NOW!" Brett stopped, fists clenched, head turning wildly, looking for his brother.

"Hey, what--?"

"Go Luffy. Leave without me or wait. I have something to take care of."

As Luffy turned to leave, still puzzled, a man stepped out of the shadows. A man who looked identical to Brett. The only difference was the twisted, sinister expression covering his face.

"Long time, no see, brother," he said menacingly.

"You can replicate? COOL!" Luffy said, staring open-mouthed at the twin.

"Luffy. You need to leave. Now," Brett hissed, not taking his eyes off of Brock. Luffy looked slightly put out, but respected Brett's wishes and turned again to leave.

"What do you mean 'we're waiting on my new friend'?" Nami exclaimed as Luffy boarded the ship, "The wind is picking up like crazy, if we don't leave now we might not be able to!"

"He saved us from that Smokey guy, I told him we'd wait!"

"Luffy, you're impossible…where is he now?"

"Fighting himself."

Brett didn't wait for small talk. Abandoning all pretense, he charged at his brother, fists raised. Brock still smiled, staring unblinkingly at Brett. Rock spires exploded all around Brett as he pounded towards Brock, but he dodged them nimbly, flipping and somersaulting through the air while losing no momentum in his pace. Brett jumped right at him and threw a vicious punch at his face, and Brock, unmoving, ducked backwards and dodged it, ducking around behind Brett.

"Temper, brother. You've always had one."

"Shut up. Shut the HELL up!" Brett yelled, twirling around to throw another punch. He was met this time by a huge scythe, made of a glistening black material. Brett caught the curved blade of the scythe with the back of his gloves, and the two stood in a deadlock, struggling to gain control. Brett jumped back, which caused Brock to overbalance and sway forward. Brett took this opportunity to throw an uppercut, connecting with Brock's jaw and sending him crashing to the ground.

"Looks like spending time with Captain Fang has gotten you out of practice," Brett said, fire burning in his eyes.

"One lucky punch is nothing to brag about," Brock replied, standing up, "but I probably should get back to the ship…"

"You're not going anywhere."

"Neither of you are going anywhere," a voice said from behind them. Captain Smoker was standing there, looking as menacing as ever. "Brett and Brock Grove AND Straw Hat Luffy? Did I miss the memo about the Pirate convention in town this week?"

"I'm not a filthy pirate!" Brett spat angrily.

"You scum are all the same," Smoker shot back, "Pirate or not, the bounty on your head still means it's up to me to bring you in."

Thick, white smoke began to unfurl from Smoker's arms, and two columns shot out at both Brett and Brock, smashing them into the wall behind them.

"I….can't….move…." Brett said, struggling to free himself. Brock had remained quiet, not putting up a fight. He was still just smiling, looking more and more ominous by the minute.

"This is what justice feels like," Smoker said, tightening his grip around the two. Rain began to pour in droves, and the wind howled on, but Smoker paid no mind as he stared intently at his prey. Then, in the second time in less than an hour, he received a hammering blow to the face.

Luffy had run back from the ship to come get Brett.

"Good thing I came back!" He said, laughing and grabbing Brett.

"No! I—stop," Brett said, tugging on Luffy's hand. He wrenched free of him and turned back to Brock, but Brock had vanished.

"DAMMIT!" Brett yelled, punching a wall and reducing it to rubble, "He got away!"

"You lost yourself?" Luffy asked stupidly. Brett ignored him.

"I'll….I'll explain on the ship. You're headed to the Grand Line, I presume?"

"Sure am!" Luffy proclaimed proudly.

"Perfect. I'm allowed to hitch a ride that far?"

"I don't see why not! C'mon, you can meet my nakama—" Luffy was cut off by a thick band of smoke tightening itself around him, squeezing as hard as it could. Brett turned and pounced instinctively on Smoker, but jumped straight through him.

"I'm not being caught off-guard by you two punks again. You won't be able to touch me."

Brett laid into him with everything he had, but to no effect. Everywhere on Smoker he punched, his body would just be replaced by wisps of white smoke, then reform again.

"I told you, Straw Hat, if you can't get past me you'll never make it to the Grand Line. I eat rookies like you for breakfast."

It was then it happened. An eerie, green tidal wave of wind swept over Lougetown, blowing Luffy and Brett away from Smoker and in the direction of the ship.

"Wooooooooooohoooooooooooooooo!" Were the last words Smoker heard as Luffy raced off to the docks, Brett at his heals.

The wind roared, but Brett and Luffy pounded on.

_This is ridiculous, _Brett thought, _Not even I could do something like this!_

"There it is!" Luffy shouted from a few feet ahead. Brett turned his head up against the wind and spotted a very handsome carousel-style ship ahead. A girl with orange hair was shouting something from the deck at them, beckoning them towards her.

"They're leaving, we're gonna have to…" He grinned. Brett looked at his face and knew nothing good could come of this. Luffy's arm stretched and wound itself around Brett's torso. His other arm stretched out far, landing on his ship.

"Hang on!" Luffy yelled. Brett lurched forward, and was hurdled through the air like a rag doll, coming to a crash landing on the dock. The only saving grace was Roronoa breaking his fall.

"One of these days, Luffy," Zoro said, getting up and wincing, "I am going to _kill _you."

As the wind died down, Smoker woke up face-up in the dirt street, staring up at the face of a very familiar man.

"Why…?"

"Why not let a kid who wants to sail, sail?" He said, staring at Smoker with amusement on his face.

"Dragon…"


	4. A New Nakama! History of the Windwalker

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or its characters. Yet. Hehe.

"This is who we're waiting on? Luffy, how do you even know him?" The orange haired girl, who Brett had learned was named Nami, asked.

"I don't!"

"Shitty rubber kid…" The blond one muttered. His name was Sanji.

"He doesn't seem all that bad to me. He passes Captain Usopp's personal inspection!" The long-nosed one, Usopp, proclaimed.

The skies were a bright, clear blue, matching the beautiful ocean below. It had been three days since the Straw Hats escape from Lougetown, and Brett had been watching the crew carefully.

If you could call it a crew…

First, you had Luffy himself. Captain of a ship? Hardly. The kid was Brett's age, if that, and more dimwitted than a box of beach pebbles. Always grinning like an idiot, jumping around and singing songs, he seemed more like the town idiot than the Captain of a Pirate Crew. And the 30 million beli bounty? Brett couldn't see it. Then again, Brett had 15 million on him for having a twin brother, so he didn't put too much faith in the Marine Justice System.

Next was the Swordsman/First Mate, Roronoa Zoro. He was famous enough across East Blue for Brett to have heard about him. "Pirate Hunter Zoro" he was called. But….he was a pirate. From what Brett was told, Zoro was never a Pirate Hunter at all. He just beat them up for their bounties and got that name by the public. Brett did know, however, that Zoro was a frightening man. Goofy at some times, and Brett thought possibly a narcoleptic, but definitely not someone he wanted to mess with.

Then there was Nami, the Navigator of the crew. Orange hair, cute face, and curves that went on forever, Nami was a born and bred Gentleman-Killer. According to her, she was the reason Luffy had come to beat Arlong in the first place, freeing her village and, indirectly, herself. And though Nami, being one of the most level-headed of the crew, is harsh with Luffy, Brett could tell she had a deep and unwavering loyalty to him.

Usopp was, what Brett thought, the most out of place of the crew members. He was certainly goofy enough, but in a much different fashion. It was almost like he thought he was so pathetic and incompetent that he had to lie about everything to make himself feel better. The first day he already had Brett believing he was the captain of a fleet of a hundred ships, with eight-hundred men each. And, to be honest, Brett still doesn't really know whether it's the truth or not. At least he's convincing. Oh, and he's a pretty good shot with his slingshot, too.

Sanji was the last crew member that boarded the ship. He was the ship's cook, and could whip up some of the most delicious food Brett had ever tasted. And, from what Brett saw, he could cook up one mean kick-to-the-gut flambe if he wanted to. Chain-smoking, suit-wearing, curly-eyebrowing, Sanji was a pretty cool dude on the outside. He just had one weakness: Nami. Anytime he saw her, his face went slack, he got this misty, glazed look over his eyes, and he followed her around shouting "Mellorine!" at the top of his lungs. Brett kind of felt sorry for him, but, he admitted shamefully, he could see why Sanji would fall for Nami. She really was attractive.

On the third day with the Straw Hats, Brett was lounging lazily around on the deck, sitting up against the mast, watching Luffy and Usopp fishing. Luffy had given up on a rod (he had eaten all the bait), and was instead spear fishing. With his arms. As Brett watched Luffy pull up a fish that had to weigh at least 300 pounds, he heard a soft rustling next to him. Next thing he knew, Zoro was sitting on the left of him. Not looking at him, just staring forward, holding his swords protectively at his side. As he spoke, he still didn't make eye contact.

"It's been three days. We're almost to the Grand Line."

"I know," Brett replied, staring determinedly at Usopp and Luffy. Zoro still scared him slightly. Not so much because of his fighting ability, but because he was the only one, apart from Nami maybe, who didn't trust Brett at all.

"Are you ever going to tell us?"

"Tell you what?"

"Luffy, being the idiot of a Captain he is, took you on board with no reason what-so-ever. You know all about us; how we came to be a crew, and why we're attempting to sail the Grand Line. Don't you think it's kind of strange that all we know about you is…according to Luffy….you can replicate?"

"Well…" Brett hesitated, "You never asked."

Zoro stuttered. Then he laughed quietly. "We never did…isn't that something."

"Wow, are you always this stupid?" The words came out before Brett realized what he said. He's too used to being a natural smart-ass. There was a flash of steel, the dull thud of metal being sunk into wood, and Brett was standing above Zoro, fists raised. Zoro had struck at Brett, missed by inches, and dug his blade into the mast, cutting halfway through it.

"What's going on over there?" Usopp called, hearing the commotion. Luffy was too busy attempting to wrench himself free of the previous fish he had caught, which had now swallowed him whole, to notice anything. Sanji and Nami too had come out of the kitchen. Sanji had just undoubtedly made Nami another special drink, for she came out sipping on something fruity-looking, and Sanji had that look in his eyes.

Zoro spoke up, "Does anyone else not think this is strange? We pick up some straggler from Lougetown all on a crazy hunch that that idiot over there," he pointed to Luffy, still struggling with his fish, "had, tell him everything about us, and then let him hitch a rid to the Grand Line! He could be a Marine spy, or a Bounty Hunter, but here we are, giving him passage. For all we know he could even be another Pirate—"

"I am not a Pirate!"

"Well, we don't know what you are, since you all you seem to do is sit around and stare!"

"Look, I've kept to myself for a long time, so sorry if I prefer to keep to myself!"

"Well then maybe I prefer to throw you off this ship!" Zoro yelled, drawing another sword and staring at Brett.

"Look, if you can just get me to the Grand Line, I'll leave you in peace. I can get to where I'm going from there."

"We could all be dead before that ever happens. What should happen is—"

"Zoro. Enough." It was Luffy. He had dislodged himself from the fish, and was staring at Zoro with a sense of seriousness Brett had never seen in him before. He didn't even know Luffy was capable of that. "Brett's story is his own, if he wants to keep it private, he can."

"But Luffy, he could be—"

"I already know what he is," Luffy said calmly. "I took this off Smoker before we made a break for it. When I went to punch him I accidentally grabbed it, but I kept it anyway." Luffy pulled out two crumpled pieces of paper, and smoothed them out. He held them up for the crew to see. The first one read:

**WANTED: BRETT THE GALE, THE HUMAN HURRICANE. 15 MILLION BELI REWARD. DEAD OR ALIVE.**

A picture of Brett accompanied the headline. He was holding both arms outstretched, and his hair was flailing madly in the wind, swirling around him like a small tornado. Brett had seen his bounty poster before, and was very proud of the way it looked. He looked quite fearsome. The other poster read:

**WANTED: "EARTHQUAKE" BROCK. 20 MILLION BELI REWARD. DEAD OR ALIVE.**

The picture of Brock was of Brett's twin standing with his one arm pointing at the camera, palm open. The picture was blurry from where the ground was shaking so bad while it was being took, but there was still no mistaken the person in the frame.

"I've known who he is the moment we left this place. If I had thought he was any danger to us, I wouldn't have went back for him. So, Zoro, put your swords up."

Zoro stared at the posters. After a moment or two, he gave a grunt of acknowledgement and sheathed his katana, turning his back on the group. "I still don't trust you," he muttered, before walking off and slumping onto the starboard rail, poised for a nap.

Brett looked around. No one had said a word since Zoro, they just looked at Brett, a mixture of fear and curiosity. Luffy looked indifferent, though he didn't look his usual happy self. Brett hung his head slightly; he respected these people for taking him in, and felt ashamed he caused something like this to happen between them. He paused to look at the ground for another second, then spoke up.

"I'll tell you. If you all want to listen."

Zoro opened on eye. Sanji pulled out a cigarette and smiled. "I'll go make some drinks," he said, and ambled into the galley. Nami leaned against the wall on the deck and remained quiet. Luffy's smile returned and he jumped on his favorite spot of Merry's head. Usopp took a spot next to Nami and watched Brett carefully. No one spoke til Sanji returned and delievered everyone a drink.

"All right Mister _Human Hurricane, _let's hear it," Zoro urged.

Brett cleared his throat loudly.

"My name is Brett Grove. People commonly call me Brett the Gale, or The Human Hurricane. I refer to myself, however, as The Windwalker."

A small breeze picked up and seemed to center itself around Brett. Then, everyone gasped as he rose a few feet in the air and hovered there.

"I ate the Kaze Kaze no mi, the Wind-Wind fruit. I can create and conrtol wind. My brother, Brock, ate the Rock-Rock fruit. He can control the earth. But that's not where I'll begin.

If I've noticed one thing about everyone here, it's that you all have a dream you want to accomplish. Pirate King, greatest swordsman, draw a map of the world, become a brave man of the sea, or find All-Blue. My goal…is a little different." Brett flew back down to the ground and stood in the center of the crew.

"My life's goal is to kill my father and brother. And the only way I can do that is by sailing the Grand Line."

"Your _father?_" Nami exclaimed, "Why him?"

"Everything starts with him," Brett said bitterly, "and everything will end with him. My brother and I were born on a small island in East Blue. My father, being the filthy pirate that he was, left my mother when she was pregnant. She had to raise us by herself. We were always extremely poor, and she had to work three jobs just to make it. She did everything she could to make sure we were always happy. She enrolled us in the local dojo, even though she knew she couldn't afford it. I think she just wanted to keep us distracted from how bad off we were. She died when we were nine."

No one said anything, so Brett plowed on.

"Lucky for us, our dojo teacher had taken a liking to us. He took us in after she had died, and let us be students for free, and live at the dojo, as long as we worked for him. We trained there for years. He told us we were among his top students he's ever had. He was a really great teacher. He didn't teach traditional dojo swordsmanship, he let us adapt to our own unique styles. I learned hand-to-hand combat and a mixture of different martial arts, while Brock took up a scythe and learned how to wield it. We each trained individually and grew up differently, but we were still very close brothers. On our thirteenth birthday, he each gave us a present. He gave me these gloves," Brett pulled out his black gloves with the jewels, "the stones here on the backside of the glove is one of the hardest materials in the world; it can break practically anything. And Luffy, you saw it I think, the black scythe Brock has. That was his gift. We kept training at the dojo til we were fourteen. Then one day, I woke up and entered his room to find someone had murdered him."

Brett had started pacing up and down the deck now. Now that he had started talking, it felt great to finally tell someone.

"Brock and I left the island then, knowing that we couldn't stay there any longer. We borrowed a boat and sailed around East Blue, looking for adventure and a purpose. It was while we sailed together that I started to notice Brock's true nature. He was very wily, always wanting to slice things up first then ask questions later, but I didn't see any harm in it. I was more or less the same, although a tad more conservative than him. I think the breaking point in seeing his real side was the island where we got our powers. We saved the island from a group of bandits that had lodged itself there over the past few years, and the village paid us with the Devil Fruits. Brock wasn't too keen on the idea of not getting any money for his services, so he tried to murder everyone. And he would have too if I hadn't stopped him. It was then I started watching him, noticing him grow into the sick, sadistic being he is today.

"After we attained our powers, we thought we'd test the waters of the Grand Line. One boat, two crew members, and somehow we still made it. We ended up landing on an island close to the beginning of the Grand Line, where we worked for their King in his army for a few years. I was happy there. I thought I had found a place to live, at least for a while. Then Brock showed his true colors. It took him three years, but he did it. I woke up in the middle of the night to a full-scale riot going on in the castle. As I ran around, trying to figure out what was going on, people started attacking me, calling me a murderer and a traitor. Confused, I took refuge on the outskirts of town, where one of the King's Army Captains found me. He told me Brock had gone mad, and started killing everyone, soldier or innocent alike, in a madhouse slaughter, before jumping ship with a pirate crew and sailing out of sight.

I knew what I had to do. I packed up the same night and took a boat off the island. I caught up to Brock within a week. He was sailing back toward East Blue, and I headed him off on an island right before entering back into the ocean. We fought, but he had joined forces with a man called Captain Fang, and him and his crew detained me. Brock then told me that it was him who had murdered our mother, and our Dojo Master."

Nami clapped her hand over her mouth. Usopp gasped, and Sanji choked on the cigarette smoke he had been inhaling. Luffy and Zoro remained quiet, eyeing Brett intesnely.

"I managed to escape from them, but I lost track of Brock by the time I got back to East Blue. I've been sailing around for a while now, following his path of carnage that he would sometimes blame on me as an amusing joke. That's why we both have bounties, by the way.

I managed to catch up with him a few islands before Lougetown, and I had been following him since. But I was spotted at Lougetown, met you all, and well—the rest is history. I know him and Captain Fang are sailing back to the Grand Line, that much I can make out for myself by their sailing patterns. For what, I don't know, and I don't really care. I only want to find him and kill him. And, if I'm lucky, I can meet my father on the way. And that's my story. And that's my dream. So you all can throw me off the boat now, just as long as you know the truth."

Luffy still stared, but then his face broke out into its usual grin.

"Welcome to the crew, Brett."


	5. Enter the Grand Line! Brett's Old Enemy

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or its beautiful inhabitants.

Author's Note: Chapter 5 is filler to show off a little of what Brett can do. Chapter 6 will begin the first arc of the story: Alabasta!

Also, sorry for not updating in so long, computer went haywire T_T

It had been a week since Brett "joined" the crew. And, honestly, he had never felt more at home. He had never met such quirky, awkward, problematic people before, but he couldn't think of the last time he had had this much fun.

Everywhere he turned something was going on. And there were only six people on board. Granted, most of the time it was just Luffy pissing either Zoro or Sanji off, then a round thirty minutes of them chasing him around, but there was never a dull moment around the Straw Hats.

"Ah, sweet peace," Brett muttered as he helped himself to some afternoon tea and settled in a lawn chair on the deck. He whipped up a small breeze and sipped on his drink, savoring the sense of calm washing over him. All his hatred for his brother was quietly subsided in a small part of his mind, and he could freely enjoy himself.

Twenty minutes passed by in serenity when Brett heard Zoro's voice, "Oy, land ho!" from the crow's nest above. Brett snapped out of his reverie and looked up. Sure enough, the small outcropping of an island could be seen in the distance.

"Oooooooooooooooh!" Luffy roared in pleasure, latching himself onto Merry's head with his arms and securing his seat. With one hand on his hat, Luffy peered into the distance excitedly, "Is it the Grand Line?"

"No you idiot," Nami replied, coming out of the galley with Sanji at her heels, "the Grand Line is supposed to be a huge mountain. That's just one of the islands before it."

"The Grand Line is instantly recognizable when you see it," Brett said quietly, standing next to Merry's head and looking at the island ahead. "I know that island; it's where Brock and I got our powers."

"Whoa! Really? COOL!" Luffy exclaimed, standing up to try and get a better view. Brett grinned at Luffy's unrelenting excitement. Zoro walked up and stood beside Brett, also staring at the island.

"Is the Grand Line as bad as people say it is? It always slips my mind you've been there."

Brett didn't answer immediately. He gathered his thoughts for a moment, then replied, "I never made it that far into the Grand Line. I settled on one of the first islands. But from what I did see of it, it's a brutal and dangerous place. Only the strongest of the strong can even make it into the Grand Line, let alone try to sail it."

"But you made it before. We can do it again, right?" Usopp asked, coming up from behind Brett.

"Of course we can," Brett replied, "If I can make it with just a psychopath of a brother, the six of us can get there no problem."

An hour later and, spirits soaring at the thought of adventure, the crew dismounted Merry and onto the island. It was, at first glance, a beautiful masterpiece of seemingly untouched white beaches and green jungles that stretched on for miles.

"This island is called The Island of Half-Hearted Dreams. It's the closest island in East Blue to the Grand Line, and many sailors come here hoping to sail the Grand Line, only to change their minds and turn back. In fact, that's how this original settlement started, a group of sailors who decided to stay here instead of braving the Grand Line."

The crew, sans Luffy, stared at Brett at this startling amount of information. He shrugged. "I told you I've been here before."

"MYSTERY ISLAND!" Luffy called, running headfirst for the trees. The other five exchanged exasperated glances, then followed him into the jungle.

"If you've been here before," Sanji said, lighting a cigarette, "you know what kind of plants and animals live here? Anything edible?"

"Oh yeah, tons," Brett said animatedly, pointing out a few species of plants. As he pointed, Sanji picked them up, examined them curiously, and put them in a bag he was carrying. "You can find pretty much any jungle inhabiting animal in here, but from what I know of this place, it has one unique species called the Coldeon."

"And what's a Coldeon?" Usopp asked, shaking slightly.

"It's a kind of bear, but maybe triple the size, with giant claws and tusks."

The color in Usopp drained away, and his knees started knocking together.

"Oh, so a mystery bear!" Luffy said, only halfway paying attention. Nami rapped him on his skull.

A good thirty minute walk through the jungle with (to Usopp's immense relief), no Coldeon encounters, and the crew had made it to the village, which, according to Brett, was known as Kappa-Kappa Village, named after a type of turtle that inhabits the local waters. It was just like any other Island village, though maybe not as developed as Lougetown. Small dirt paths formed the majority of the center of the town, with small, one-story pueblos lining the streets. Little shops and restaurants were dotted here and there, and a few people bustled about the town, paying the newcomers no mind.

"MEAT!" Luffy yelled, leaving the crew behind as he headed off towards the nearest shop, which had a huge selection of meat in the display window. Zoro sighed heavily.

"I'll go watch him. Curly-Cook, make the supply-gathering quick, will you?"

"I'll go as fast as I please shitty swordsman."

"Sanji, let's go shopping!" Nami said, waving him over from a few feet away.

"AYE, NAMI-SWAAAAAAAAAAAN~!"

Which left just Brett and Usopp.

"Soooooooo…" Usopp said, as Brett looked around the town, a small line of concern sketched on his face, "Got any friends from when you were here last time?"

"Something isn't right."

"What?"

Brett started walking. Usopp followed him, puzzled. "Hey, Brett. Brett? What's not right? Are you going to—"

Brett had stopped so abruptly that Usopp walked right into him and fell over backwards; Brett appeared not to have noticed.

"Him," was all Brett said, staring straight ahead.

"Him?" Usopp repeated, looking in the direction Brett was. He didn't have to look for long, it was obvious what Brett was staring at. In the center of the town, being hoisted up in the air by four men, was a man sitting on a high-backed throne, wearing a long, lavish cloak and many gold and silver jewels. On his head perched a large, gaudy crown. He had his arms crossed, surveying the town smugly as he passed the houses and shops.

"Who is he?" Usopp asked, standing up.

"He's the leader of the bandit clan Brock and I got rid of a few years back. Brock tried to kill him, but I just tossed them off the island. Seems some people don't learn their lesson…"

"And you said you've beaten him before?"

"That's an understatement."

"Aha! So it's a battle we have! I can see it now, Brett and Captain Usopp against the savage, the vicious, the merciless bandits of Kappa-Kappa Village! Just let me at them, I'll have them begging for their lives in no time. I'll make 'em run for the hills, they won't know what hit them. The dream team—"

Usopp had just noticed Brett wasn't next to him anymore. He looked around, and Brett was calmly walking up to the bandit leader. His hands were in his pockets, but it was obvious his fists were clenched. Usopp followed slowly. Brett made his way up the street and stood in the middle, blocking the leader's procession from passing. He kept his head down. The man, who, up close, had long feathered out brown hair and a long, straight nose, looked down at Brett with a bored expression.

"Move, peasant."

"Nice to see you again, too, Branson." Brett looked up. Branson's eyes widened and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"Y-you?! What are you doing--?"

"That's the question I should be asking you, Branson. I thought I mentioned something about never coming back to this island."

Branson didn't look so shocked anymore. In fact, he was smiling in a bemused sort of way. "Oh Brett," he drawled, his bored voice coming back, but this time with a touch of sarcasm, "you know as well as I do we couldn't stay away from here. It's much too comforting to our needs. Once you and your horrible brother left, we came right back. Ha! It was like nothing had changed."

A vein throbbed in Brett's temple and his arm twitched slightly. He opened his mouth to speak, but Usopp cut him off.

"How did you know it was Brett and not Brock?"

Branson turned to Usopp, and eyed him with distaste. "Simple," he said, "Brock has the big scythe. You can't miss it, really."

Brett chuckled, "That's true. I always wondered how people confused us when he always carried that behemoth around with him. Anyway," Brett pulled his hands out of his pockets; his gloves were on, and he cracked his knuckles threateningly, "Didn't learn the first time, I'll teach you the second time what happens when you disobey."

Branson eyed the gloves uneasily for a moment, but then his cold smile returned. "You don't think we'd come back to this island empty-handed do you? We made sure that were you and your annoying brother to ever come back, we'd have a way to beat you."

"And what may that be?" Brett asked.

"A way to control the Coldeons, of course," Branson laughed, then put his fingers to his mouth and whistled, loud and shrill. Within seconds, five Coldeons had surrounded Branson's throne, drooling and growling, all looking right at Brett. The few bystanders that were mingling and shopping all screamed and ran away. The road was a ghost town in a matter of seconds. The Coldeons themselves were massive, the average one being the size of a small house in Kappa-Kappa Village. They all had thick, dark fur, and, like Brett said, resembled gigantic bears, but with two large tusks jutting out of their bottom row of teeth, and three sharp claws on each front paw. Natural killing machines. Each of the Coldeons had a collar around it, which was obviously the way Branson was controlling them.

"This is all you have, Branson? A way to control a few wild animals? New form of low," Brett loved how he had the natural ability to get under people's skin. He could see Branson reddening.

"A few wild animals?!" Branson spat, "Look at the size of these things! You're going to be ripped to shreds!"

"We'll see," Brett said simply, and as the wind picked up, he disappeared in the breeze. This left Usopp alone with five overgrown bears.

"Heh heh….good bears. Nice bears. Fuzzy be—DON'T EAT ME!!!!" He screamed, running away as fast as he could. The Coldeons jumped to give chase, but stopped abruptly as one of them crumpled over for seemingly no reason. As they turned to see what happened to their bear-nakama, they caught a glimpse of blond and a huge blast of wind hit them in the face. They dug their claws into the ground to prevent from being blown away, gnashing their teeth and trying to hold ground.

"What are you morons doing!" Branson yelled, "You weigh more than a marine battleship, stop dawdling and kill him!"

As the Coldeons tried to regain their ground, Brett charged into the wind, sending a massive uppercut to the lead bear, knocking it straight into the air. He jumped, used the wind to swerve around and get above it, and crashed into its back with all of his might, sending it crashing back into the ground, scattering its buddies and knocking it out. Landing gracefully, Brett wasted no time, sprinting to the closest bear, dodging its swipe, and knocking it out cold with a hard punch to the face. Another Coldeon pounced from behind Brett, but he turned fast enough and caught it in the jaw, sending it spiraling over Branson's carriage and completely destroying a fruit stand on the side of the road.

"This ends now!" Brett said, running at the last two Coldeons. Right before he collided with the first one, he jumped and grabbed it by both sides of its head. Using wind as leverage, he brought it off the ground, flipped it mid-air, and slammed it into the last bear, which just stood there looking dumbfounded.

As the dust and wreckage cleared, Brett approached Branson, who now looked terrified.

"Wh-where did you get that power?" Branson asked, staring at Brett.

"Funny enough, I got it from this island as a reward for beating your slimy ass off of it. Maybe they'll give me another one for when I do it this time."

Usopp, who saw Brett's clear victory in wide-eyed amazement, now approached the two. "Exactly to plan Brett, good job! Count this as another win for Caaaaaaaaptain Usopp!" A gust of wind picked up and slammed Usopp's head into the ground.

"Don't worry Branson, I promise it won't hurt." Brett smiled and pulled back to punch him. Branson cowered.

"Fist of the Wind King!" Brett cried, and threw a mighty punch. His reach stopped just before Branson's chest. Branson looked up, obviously at a loss for what just happened.

"You missed? You missed! HA! You're a real idiot, Brett Gro—" He was cut off by a rustle of wind that seemed to take the words right out of his mouth. The wind picked up at an exponential pace, coming from directly behind Brett. Branson tried to run for it, but he was picked up off the ground, and, still struggling to keep a hold of something, was blown away into the distance, miles and miles away. Admiring his handiwork, Brett dusted his hands on his pants and turned to walk away as if nothing had happened. Usopp followed him, and the two attracted many stares from the now gathering crowd.

"Does this happen everywhere you go, Brett?" Usopp asked once they reached the boat. They decided just to wait on the crew there.

"Hmm…." Brett pondered for a moment, slipping his gloves back in his pocket, "Can't say it hasn't so far!" He laughed, and Usopp paled a little.

The two dawdled around the ship for a few hours before any of the crew came back. Nami and Sanji arrived first, with Sanji literally pack-muling around fifty bags for Nami. Luffy showed up shortly after, exclaiming he found a new "pet" which turned out to be one of the Coldeons Brett had knocked out. After taking who knows how long to dissuade Luffy from bringing it on the ship, Zoro finally showed up, saying everyone must've moved the boat on him because he "definitely" went to the right beach. On the other side of the island.

A few days of sailing later and there it was: Reverse Mountain. The crew all stared at the imposing structure, awestruck. Brett lingered in the back, smiling. This was a big step for any pirate crew on their journey to find Romance. As Nami shouted out orders to everyone, Brett did his best to control the wind so it wouldn't rock the ship too bad. The thing about the Kaze-Kaze fruit was, while you could create and control wind, wind didn't like to be controlled. So the stronger the wind, the more concentration you need. If it weren't for Luffy's quick (and rare) thinking with his Rubber Balloon, the ship would have been annihilated. But the Merry made it up the mountain, broke past the clouds, and headed into the Grand Line.

And so the journey begins.


	6. First Challenge Appears! The Giant Whale

Disclaimer: One Piece is not my property.

A/N: Hooooooooooly crap I haven't done this in a while. I hope anyone reading these will take the time to look at my humble little story and give me some reviews/favorites/subscribes.

"We made it, I can't believe we made it! I thought for sure we were gonna die!" Luffy exclaimed, laughing, while the entire crew blanched at their captain's lack of faith.

Everyone patted each other on the back, whooped and hollered with glee, and felt extremely satisfied to have made it up Reverse Mountain alive. That is, until Sanji broke the silence.

"Nami-swan, my dear, is it normal for there to be a mountain in the middle of Reverse Mountain, blocking our path?"

The rest of the crew turned to where Sanji was pointing, obviously confused as to why there was a huge rock formation in the middle of the sea.

What little color there was in Brett's face drained away as he saw what no one else saw.

"Guys…. That's not a rock. That's—" Before he could even finish, everyone else noticed it too.

"—A WHALE!?" They cried in unison.

And so it was, a giant whale, bigger than anything the crew members had ever seen before, coming between them and the Grand Line. Immediate panic ensued. Usopp and Luffy ran around screaming, Brett and Nami stood deathly still, not knowing what to do, and Zoro took a nap, a look of complete disinterest on his face.

"We're heading straight for it, there's no way we can veer around it, we're going to crash and sink at this rate!" Nami said, a note of panic in her voice. At that point, Brett took off running and jumped straight off the ship towards the whale. The winds picked up and he hovered in midair, coming between the ship and the giant creature.

"I might be able to slow us down or even stop us, but a back-up plan would be nice just in case." Brett turned to face the ship and threw his hands out straight. Wind howled past him, rushing over the entire crew with tremendous force, flattening them to the ground. They slowed down a marginal amount, but the ship was still bounding headlong towards the whale.

"There's not enough time to slow it down! We're gonna cra—" Nami was cut off by Luffy's voice from below decks.

"Brett! Get out of the way!" He called.

Instantly, Brett dove aside, hoping whatever plan Luffy had was better than his.

And that's when a cannon shout out of the front of the Merry, pummeling the whale right in the belly.

"L-L-LUFFY!" The entire crew screamed. He came out from below deck grinning like an idiot. And he was immediately strangled by Nami.

"ARE YOU TRYING TO GET THAT THING TO NOTICE US WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU DO YOU HAVE A DEATH WISH BECAUSE I SWEAR I WILL GRANT IT I CAN'T—"

"Nami…." Brett said, awestruck. Nami looked up in time to see the Merry glide harmlessly into the whale, gently bouncing off its belly, and breaking the head off of Merry in the process.

Nami was dumbfounded. "Luffy actually did it, he actually…."

Before Nami could praise Luffy for his accolade, he managed to completely screw everything up.

"HOW DARE YOU BREAK MY SPECIAL SEAT!" He howled in rage, extending his arm and, in what was known by Brett as the 13th stupidest thing Luffy has ever done, punched the whale straight in the eye.

"Luffy…" Brett whimpered.

"…what…" Usopp.

"…have…" Sanji.

"…you…" Zoro.

"…DONE!?" Nami screamed, trying to strangle him again.

"BRING IT ON WHALE, I'LL KICK YOUR ASS FOR BREAKING MY SEAT!" Luffy shouted, challenging the whale to a duel.

"Oi! Quiet, dumbass!" Brett, Zoro, and Usopp said in unison as they punted Luffy away.

The crew waited, tense, as they attempted to pass by the whale, hoping it didn't notice a rubber fist hit it smack dab in the middle of the eye. Then it's enemormous black orb of a pupil shot directly downward and looked them dead on.

"CRAP, IT SEES US!" They all shouted. Except Luffy, who was still livid over his seat.

The whale let out a deep, low rumble, and opened its mouth, attempting to suck the ship into its gaping maw.

"This is where we die," Zoro said, as the ship trudged into the depths.

As the ship was being pulled in, Luffy was caught off balance and toppled over the side, narrowly managing to avoid death by extending his arm and grabbing a tooth at the last second. From the tooth, he rocketed his way up on top of the whale.

The crew, meanwhile, was stuck being pulled inside the ever-darkening mouth of the whale.

"There's no way I'm dying in a whale's stomach," Nami proclaimed, still furious at the now absent Luffy, "if Luffy survived falling off the ship, I'm killing him."

"You're perfectly safe with me, Nami-swan! Just let me hold you close and no harm will ever come to you," Sanji replied.

"Oi, Sanji, that's me," Usopp said. Brett suppressed a laugh.

Luffy meanwhile, had made it to the top of the whale, where he was furiously pounding on its head.

"Hey, whale, give me my crewmates back! We have an adventure to go on! I swear I'll kick your ass if you don't give them back right now!" At that instant, the whale, now done swallowing the Merry and Luffy's crew, began to submerge.

"Stop, what do you think you're doing!? Don't you go underwater without giving my nakama back! STOP!" Luffy, desperate, looked around for anything that could help. And that's when he saw the hatch.

A hatch, built into the top of the whale.

"Eh, a hatch? Where does this go?" He hastily opened it and climbed in, right as the whale submerged.


End file.
